Hypothetical reference decoder for multiview video coding

Abstract

A method and apparatus to define a Hypothetical Reference Decoder (HRD) for Multiview Video Coding (MVC) defines constraints for each possible interoperability point. Each combination of M views denotes an interoperability point. The principles of the present invention also allow for HRD constraints to be defined for a set of interoperability points and other sets are derived from the defined set. The method also allows for the HRD rules of the interoperability points to be derived from information in the bitstream syntax.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A multiview video encoder, comprising:
 a processing unit implementing a hypothetical reference decoder (“HRD”) for multiview video coding (MVC), wherein the processing unit specifies HRD parameters and bitstream restriction information for each interoperability point in MVC, and wherein the processing unit encodes the HRD parameters and the bitstream restriction information into a bitstream. 
 
     
     
       2. The multiview video encoder of  claim 1 , wherein the HRD parameters and the bitstream restriction information are defined in high level syntax. 
     
     
       3. The multiview video encoder of  claim 1 , wherein the bitstream restriction information comprises at least one of a motion_vectors_over_pic_boundaries_flag syntax element, a max_bytes_per_pic_denom syntax element, a max_bits_per_mb_denom syntax element, a log2_max_mv_length_horizontal syntax element, a log2_max_mv_length_vertical syntax element, a num_reorder_frames syntax element, and a max_dec_frame_buffering syntax element. 
     
     
       4. A multiview video encoder, comprising:
 a processing unit implementing a hypothetical reference decoder for multiview video coding, wherein the processing unit specifies the HRD parameters and the bitstream restriction information only for a set of interoperability points, and other sets are derived from the specified set, and wherein the processing unit encodes the HRD parameters and the bitstream restriction information into a bitstream. 
 
     
     
       5. The multiview video encoder of  claim 4 , wherein the processing unit specifies the HRD parameters and the bitstream restriction information only for decoding a single view, and derives the HRD parameters and the bitstream restriction information for decoding more than one view from those of the single view. 
     
     
       6. The multiview video encoder of  claim 4 , wherein the bitstream restriction information comprises at least one of a motion_vectors_over_pic_boundaries_flag syntax element, a max_bytes_per_pic_denom syntax element, a max_bits_per_mb_denom syntax element, a log2_max_mv_length_horizontal syntax element, a log2_max_mv_length_vertical syntax element, a num_reorder_frames syntax element, and a max_dec_frame_buffering_syntax element. 
     
     
       7. A multiview video encoder, comprising:
 a processing unit implementing a hypothetical reference decoder for multiview video coding, wherein the processing unit specifies the HRD parameters and the bitstream restriction information only for the worst case of decoding any number of views, the worst case corresponding to at least one of a largest buffer size, longest delay, highest bitrate, and most bit consumption required for decoding the any number of views, and wherein the processing unit encodes the HRD parameters and the bitstream restriction information into a bitstream. 
 
     
     
       8. The multiview video encoder of  claim 7 , wherein the bitstream restriction information comprises at least one of a motion_vectors_over_pic_boundaries_flag syntax element, a max_bytes_per_pic_denom syntax element, a max_bits_per_mb_denom syntax element, a log2_max_mv_length_horizontal syntax element, a log2_max_mv_length_vertical syntax element, a num_reorder_frames syntax element, and a max_dec_frame_buffering syntax element.